Guidelines For Understanding Biblical Prophecy

What is the point of prophecy?

On one hand people don’t like uncertainty… where will I get the money for rent next month?... will the stock market crash and wipe out my retirement savings? … will my son get home safely tonight?

On the other hand many of us dislike the idea of a future where everything is already decided. Statements like: “I have no choice in the matter”… “its inevitable”… “I can’t change anything”, are statements of despair not confidence.

God’s word gives us a way of understanding life that is a balance between a future that is reliable and true and a future that is changeable based on the choices we make. For example:

• Kingdom of God – the coming rule of God on earth and in the universe is set and will not change.
• Salvation & Reward – your relationship to the Kingdom of God is based on the choices you make.

Both these aspects of the future are addressed by the word of God.

1. God’s word shines a light on the path you must actively choose if you want to live, and receive reward in the kingdom of God.
2. God’s word provides you with prophecies and promises of the certain and inevitable future. Note: by definitions that future has not yet happened. SO…

 God’s word also provides contains prophecies of events that happened just as they were foretold… Knowing these “past prophecies” gives you greater confidence in what has not yet come to pass.

2 Timothy 3:16 – anyone can claim their writing is supernaturally inspired. Telling about a future event and then making it actually happen is what makes an audacious claim like “this is the word of God” believable. You will not find fulifilled prophecy in other supposed holy writings (Koran, Mormon, Hindu or Buddist literature, etc.). Prophecy and fulfillment is what sets the word of God from Genesis to Revelation apart.

Isaiah 46:9-11 the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob not only claims to reveal the future… He proves Himself by demonstrating the power to make it happen.

2 Peter 1:19-21 … its in your best interest to give propehcy attention!

Prophets

A prophet is one through whom God speaks to humanity. There have been many prophets throughout human history… the greatest of all the prophets sent by God is Jesus Hebrews 1:1-2. [Luke 13:33 refers to self as a prophet].

Jesus’ teaching was about the kingdom of God. It had the elements of certainty and choice:

1. a kingdom of God way of living you must choose
2. a sure outcome of human history ie. the rule of God on earth.

Note: Jesus birth, life, death, and resurrection is also the most extensive and greatest fulfillment of events foretold centuries before in the word of God. Both Scripture and human history speak to the credibility, and reliability, of scripture. A sobering thought when consideringthe future...

Gut check: What is You First Reaction to Prophecy?

You might see only strange beasts, cryptic coded messages, riddles, or confusing chronologies… unappealing and unrelated to life as we know it. How does prophecy help me find personal happiness? How does prophecy help me become a better person?

If you take time to study and understand the prophecies of scripture they can give greater personal clarity as to why the life decisions you make matter. And help you see the choices you make as incremental steps toward a very positive future.

To get this kind of perspective on prophecy lets step back and take a big picture view of scripture. What are the consistent (an persistent) core messages… what are the consistent threads of events found in scripture? How do these interact with history?

We’ll get to those in coming weeks… but today let’s go over nine guiding principles to help us to understand prophecy:

Guiding Principles of Prophecy

Role of the Messiah – the key player in almost all prophecy is the Messiah and His intervention in human affairs… what He has done, and what He is going to do in the future Luke 24:44.

Kingdom of God – almost all prophecy is in some way related to the establishment of the Messiah’s rule over humanity on earth Daniel 7:13-14.

Luke 8:1 When Jesus talked and taught about the kingdom of God He was speaking as a prophet concerning future events. The hope and goal of all the prophets has always been an end to the problems mankind creates for themselves. That hope is the Kingdom of God.

This is Satan’s Age – 2 Corinthians 4:4, Ephesians 6:12, 1 John 5:19 understanding Satan’s influence on this world is key to understand prophecy. God’s word contrasts the present age and the future age:

• Present age (Satan’s) – Messsiah has not yet exerted is suthority over the earth
• Future Age (Messiah’s) – a time when humanity will be free of Satan’s influence

God’s Objective: Redemption & Salvation – prophecy is a promise of judgment and justice. We might see judgment as gloomy and foreboding. That might be because God’s word forces us to see that at our very core we too are “unjust”… we too are part of the problem. Isaiah 29:13, Ezekiel 36:26-27.

A promise of justice is by nature a predicton of judgment. For those of us paying attention its a call to change our ways and thoughts to prepare for the future of the kingdom. The church carries forward the Messiah’s message of coming judgment to all humanity.

Some change in the here and now… most only change in the age to come, after the Messiah’s return.

Duality in Prophecy – a prime example is the 1^st and 2^nd coming of the Messiah. He came first right in the middle of the present evil age as a teacher and prophet. He will come a second time to initiate the “new age” a.k.a the kingdom of God.

The Jewish teachers of the scriptures knew the prophecies of the coming Messiah but because they did not accept the principle of duality… they did not accept the 1^st coming. “He’s doing lots of Messiah type stuff but the messiah is supposed to restore Israel… so how can we accept Jesus as the Messiah?..and they didn’t. Answer: that part of the Messiah’s work would happen at His 2^nd coming [duality].

Where di we get that idea from? Jesus taught the principleof duality:

• Matthew 17:11-12 referring back to a prophecy from Malachi 4:5, Jesus identifies a dual fulfillment.
• Matthew 24 Jesus talks about an abomination of desolation that was yet to come. He was referencing Daniel [circa 530 BC]. That prophecy had already been fulfilled by Antiochus Epiphanes in 167 BC. Yet, in Matthew 24:15-16 Jesus taught that there would also be a future fulfillment of the abominationof desolation.

Specific Dates Are Rare – Matthew 24:3, Acts 1:6-7 God’s word foretells events… but in such a way that we do not [may not] know in advance the date they will be fulfilled.

When prophecy is fulfilled we are then able to look back and see historic events and dates line up [for example the 70 weeks prophecy of the Messiah’s first coming]. God wants us to able to recognize prophecies that have come to pass to assure us of the reliability of prophesied events yet to come.

Daniel 12:6-9 [signs would become more apparent as the day approaches]. Verses 11-12 times stamps are provided so that when the prophecy has been fulfilled we will see how it unfolded according to plan John 14:29.

• For past prophecies… we can see how the dates and events line up
• For future prophecies… we do not know the dates

Cause & Effect – Galatians 6:7-8 [applies collectively as well as individually] Our Father Creator allows humanity to experience the results of our bad choices. Unconverted hearts make bad choices and reap bad results. This provides teachable moments… sometimes painful lessons [again this applies individually and collectively.

Overall, human nature is rather predictable. He made us, He knows us, and He can accurately predict trends and resulting outcomes [law of large numbers].

But God does not simply leave the universe to unfold according to the law of cause and effect, action and reaction. He is actively pursuing His program to bring many children into His family. God does intervene… to protect, or to punish as fits His purpose.

Psalm 9:15-16 all nations, not just Israel

Prophecy is Related to Human History – the purpose of scripture is not to dazzle and amaze with spooky predictions of supernatural interventions. Prophecy searches out and exposes attitudes and behaviors … and gives God’s own view on what humanity has been up to.

Prophecy plays out in the context of the story of humanity, or “history”… biological, ethnic, human governments, etc. If there was no connection between secular human history and prophecy it wouldn’t be very compelling, persuasive, or instructive.

So, if you want to better understand prophecy you should invest at least a bit of time and effort into learning about the human story… in other words, history.

The purpose and future of humanity – humans were created for a purpose: to rule over all created things Genesis 1:27-28.

God’s plan is to go beyond the planet earth as we know it Hebrews 2:6-11.

Jesus Christ is the first to step over that threshold, the firstborn, the author, the pioneer… but the intent is that we are to follow.

Revelation 3:21

Conclusion:

Prophecy is so much more than trying to figure out when and how the end of the present age comes. It helps us understand God has an organized lthoughtout plan, it affirms theauthority of scripture as reliable and authoritative, and it is a call to action for those of us with eyes to see and ears to hear.